On Saturday, September 12, the At Ready statue and the associated memorials of the cannons, cannonballs, and stone base, will be removed from Court Square. Everyone is invited to view the removal through a livestream available on Albemarle County’s
Facebook,
Twitter, and
YouTube channels, beginning at 6:30 am that day.
Viewers will have a direct sightline of the removal work, with live commentary sharing the history of Court Square, the memorials, and their installation. During more routine work periods, recorded interviews and lectures by local historians, design professionals, elected officials, and community members will be aired in split-screen with the live-feed. Due to gathering restrictions in place in response to COVID-19, there will be no onsite programming or designated viewing areas. Street and sidewalk closures will be in-place due to the operation of heavy equipment and the nature of the removal work. The event will be recorded for future viewing.
We hope you will
join us – online – to view this important moment for our community.
How Did We Get Here?
This removal is the first in Virginia to follow the full process required by the amendment to § 15.2-1812 that took effect on July 1, 2020. On July 1, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors directed a public hearing be scheduled to receive public comment on its intent to remove, relocate, contextualize, or cover the At Ready statue, cannons, and cannonballs located on the County-owned portion of Court Square. On August 6, the public hearing was held and the Board adopted a resolution to remove At Ready, the cannons, and the cannonballs. A 30-day offer period required by § 15.2-1812 followed, and on Tuesday, September 8, the Board of Supervisors selected the offer by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation (SVBF) to receive these memorials.
Alongside the state process, Albemarle County engaged in a community-driven process, the Court Square Community Conversation. Together, we established a foundation of knowledge of public memory and cultural landscapes, of the memorials, monuments, and markers at Court Square, and the context of the At Ready statue in history – and then discussed together on how Court Square could best reflect our community’s values. To view this project, visit www.publicinput.com/courtsquare.
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Where Will the Memorials Go?
Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation's offer entailed that these memorials will be located at a battlefield park site and be used to mark the location where Virginia Troops fought on that particular field of battle and be re-dedicated as “The Virginia Monument”. An interpretive marker would be installed nearby relating the history of the monument itself and recognizing its significance and detailing its journey to the battlefield.
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